nerdocalypse said:
I'd also like to know this. there's a product key on a sticker
right ON my PC, and i KNOW its not counterfeit, so it'd be great to
get rid of these annoyances. please dont just direct me to another
forum for help!
Shenan said:
You are right. Stickers are so hard to counterfeit. *grin*
Also - have you verified the product key on the sticker is even
the same one that is on your computer *in use* yet?
Use Belarc Advisor and/or Magic Jellybean KeyFinder to do so - let
us know if the product key of your installed system matches the
product key on the sticker. Sometimes users can be surprised to
find they are very different.
Mine is very different, and totally legitimate. The sticker on the
bottom of my laptop is for the Operating System dvd that was
supplied with my laptop at the time of purchase. The Magic
Jellybean Finder returns the number of the factory image that
Compaq used when they installed the original software. The two
numbers are different. My wife has an identical machine as mine,
purchased at the same time, and her sticker is different than mine,
but Magic Jellybean returns the same number on hers as it does
mine... both are the number of the image used to install the
software.
Yes - I know that - but many times these installs that were put on by the
OEM at the factory are now coming up as counterfeit - because said number
got leaked out, etc. At that time - there are work-arounds and just because
*you* know that your keys are different and have done the research to
understand why does not mean the OP has.
BTW - just because a number was used to install it - doesn't mean it is or
possibly ever was legitimate. I can easily find a hacked volume license
number on the Internet right now - install using it - maybe - just maybe -
even activate it and then I could change it using the Microsoft toll to a
legitimate product key in all likelyhood. In your case - and maybe even the
OPs - it is likely they *are/were* legitimate. It's better that people
learn this, however, in my opinion.
1. Download and install the WGA Diagnostic Tool -
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=56062
2. After running the WGA Diagnostic Tool, click on the "Windows" tab and
then click on "Copy to Clipboard".
3. Next, visit the following website and create a post in the "WGA
Validation Problems" forum and paste the results of the WGA Diagnostic Data
in a detailed post -
http://forums.microsoft.com/Genuine/default.aspx?SiteID=25
4. A WGA troubleshooting specialist will analyze the data and recommend an
appropriate solution.